ExoticEncounters: Grifons. AlexRiggs

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1 ExoticEncounters: Grifons AlexRiggs

2 Designer Alex Riggs Credits Editor Rosa Gibbons Necromancers of the Northwest, LLC th St SW, Unit 102 Edmonds, WA, Product Identity: The following terms are hereby defined as product identity, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a, Section 1(E), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, deities, etc) dialogue, plot, storylines, location, characters and trade dress. Artwork: All art in this book, besides the Necromancers of the Northwest logo, is provided by com, and is covered under the Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Creative Commons license. Open Game Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity or Artwork (see above), the game mechanics of this Necromancers of the Northwest game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission. Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. See for more information on the compatibility license.

3 Introduction The Pathfinder Bestiary, and the long line of monstrous encyclopedia that came before it, do a great job of attacking the problem of providing game statistics and mechanical information for a very wide variety of creatures. There are a lot of strange creatures from fantasy novels and movies, from ancient mythology, and, as time went on, from the twisted minds of game designers and even GMs, for that matter. Anyone today who tried to go about creating an extensive bestiary of all the different cool and interesting fantasy monsters could fill three or four volumes with three hundred monsters each, and still have a long way left to go, with fans crying out for various forgotten monsters to get some attention. That kind of breadth doesn t leave a whole lot of room for depth, and that s where Exotic Encounters comes in. There are all kinds of reasons why you might not want to use a monster stat-block straight from the core rules. For one thing, if your players have a habit of browsing through such books, or are long-time veterans who know the basic ins and outs of most fantasy staples, you may need an unusual stat-block just to throw them a curve ball and teach them that they can t count on their out of character knowledge to take all the mystery out of the game. Alternatively, many GMs can recall a time when they wanted to make use of a certain monster in their game, only to find that it was a few CRs too high or low for what they had in mind. Exotic Encounters takes a single, iconic monster, and creates three new variants on that theme. These variants aren t simple tweaks, and are more than simply advancing or removing Hit Dice, though that occurs as well. Each of these three variations on the monster s theme has a specific, flavorful goal in mind, and a role to play, and their statistics entries are gently massaged in order to make them fit those roles. Further, each of these variants comes with brand new speciallycrafted special abilities, which are unique to Exotic Encounters and not found anywhere else. This particular installment of Exotic Encounters focuses on the majestic griffon. Griffons have captured our imagination since ancient times, and have long been considered to be the king of beasts. More modern approaches to griffons see them as anything from noble steeds to feral and savage monsters, and everything in between. Here, you will find the dwarf griffon, a much smaller sub-species that is known for its propensity for diving hit-and-run tactics, the myllisthor griffon, a species of griffon speciallybred by elves to serve as elite mounts for their best scouts, and which are capable of flying at extreme speeds, and the redclaw griffon, tough and territorial beasts that live in high and rugged terrain and fight with an extreme and savage ferocity. 2 Image Can Stock Photo Inc. / Morphart

4 Dwarf Griffon This creature resembles a small bobcat, with covered in short, tan fur. Its head resembles that of a falcon or other bird of prey, and two sleek, pointed wings, seemingly too large for its body, are folded above its back. The creature stretches them, revealing an impressive, 5-foot wingspan, then, with a shriek, begins to soar down towards you, talons outstretched. GRIFFON, DWARF CR 2 XP 600 N Small magical beast Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +9 DEFENSE AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +3 natural, +1 size) hp 16 (3d10) Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +2 OFFENSE Speed 20 ft., fly 80 ft. (good) Melee bite +3 (1d4-1), 2 talons +4 (1d6-1) Special Attacks diving charge, go for the eyes, pounce, rake (2 claws +3, 1d4-1) STATISTICS Str 8, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8 Base Atk +3; CMB +1; CMD 15 (19 vs. trip) Feats Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus (talons) Skills Fly +14, Perception +12, Stealth +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Fly, +4 Perception SQ hunting talons Languages none ECOLOGY Environment temperate forests, hills, mountains, and plains Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental Diving Charge (Ex): Whenever a dwarf griffon uses the charge action while flying, after making its attack, it may continue its movement. If it chooses to do so, the dwarf griffon must continue moving in the same direction that it was moving before attacking, and its combined movement before and after the attack must not exceed twice its fly speed. Go for the Eyes (Ex): Whenever a dwarf griffon scores a critical hit with a talon or rake attack, the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 11) or be blinded for 2d4 rounds. The saving throw DC is Constitution-based. Hunting Talons (Ex): Dwarf griffons fight and hunt primarily with their talons, and as a result their talons deal damage as though the dwarf griffon were two size categories larger than it actually is. Ecology Dwarf griffons are so named for their size, as they are much smaller than the better known griffons, being closer to the size of a dog or wild cat than the horse-like stature of their better known cousin. In fact, dwarf griffons are actually much more common than their larger and more famous relatives, and can survive in a much wider variety of climates. In general, dwarf griffons tend to live in a fashion similar to most birds of prey, and are primarily ambush predators, swooping down on prey from above and killing it before it even knows that it is there. Their preferred hunting tactic is to find a good tree branch or similar perch and wait until they find movement, then soar down upon their victim with incredible speed and accuracy. While the average dwarf griffon subsists primarily on small rodents and occasionally larger animals, like young cats, dogs, and, occasionally even deer or antelope, depending on their environment, they usually do not bother attacking humans or other Medium-size creatures. This is not a hard and fast rule, however, and it is not unknown for particularly hungry dwarf griffons to attack creatures much larger than themselves, in which case they feature hit-and-run tactics, swooping down and clawing their target in passing, then circling and attacking again. They are smart enough to target a foe s eyes first, in order to blind him. It s also not uncommon for a dwarf griffon to attack larger creatures if they come near its nest, and, unlike birds of prey, they generally prefer to make their nests on the ground, in caves, or, when no caves are available, in a hole it digs itself. Of course, the dwarf griffon needs no excuse to attack halflings and other Small humanoids, as it considers creatures of its own size to be prey. 3

5 Myllisthor Griffon This beautiful creature resembles a blending of earth and sky. Its body is like that of a lion, with a burnished-gold coat, and four catlike paws. Its back is covered with silvery-white feathers, however, as are its wings, which have a span of nearly 12 feet. Its head resembles that of a majestic eagle, and its golden eyes reflect an intelligence beyond that of a mere animal. GRIFFON, MYLLISTHOR CR 6 XP 2,400 N Large magical beast Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +12 DEFENSE AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+6 Dex, +4 natural, -1 size) hp 60 (8d10+16) Fort +8, Ref +12, Will +4 OFFENSE Speed 30 ft., fly 80 ft. (good) Melee bite +10 (1d6+2), 2 claws +9 (1d6+2; 19-20/ x2) Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft. Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +7, 1d4+3) STATISTICS Str 14, Dex 22, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 12 Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 28 (32 vs. trip) Feats Flyby Attack, Skill Focus (Fly), Weapon Focus (bite), Wingover Skills Acrobatics +15, Fly +13, Perception +12; Racial Modifiers +4 Acrobatics, +4 Perception SQ burst of speed, headlong dive, razor claws Languages Common (cannot speak) ECOLOGY Environment temperate forests and mountains Organization solitary, pair, or pride (6-10) Treasure incidental Burst of Speed (Ex): As a full-round action, a myllisthor griffon can move up to six times its fly speed. Its movement must be in a straight line, and it cannot increase its altitude as part of this movement. Headlong Dive (Ex): Whenever a myllisthor griffon is flying, if it descends at an angle of at least 45 degrees, it can move up to one and a half times as far as it would normally be able to (for example, if the myllisthor griffon used the charge action, and moved downward at at least a 45 degree angle while doing so, it could move a total of 240 feet, which is one and a half times as far as it could normally charge). Razor Claws (Ex): A myllisthor griffon naturally sharpens its claws with its beak, honing them to razor points and making them more lethal. A myllisthor griffon s claw attacks threaten a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. For the purposes of advanced myllisthor griffons, this effect stacks with the Improved Critical feat. Ecology Myllisthor griffons are not naturally occuring in nature. Instead, these masterpieces of animal husbandry and training are the result of centuries-long breeding programs by certain elven communities, who originally bred them in order to serve as mounts for their soldiers. True to typical elven sensibilities, the myllisthor griffons ( myllisthor being elven for silver wing ) were bred primarily for their speed, grace, and beauty. They are among the fastest known species of griffons, and can reach truly unparalleled speeds while diving. More than simply being fast, however, myllisthor griffons are bred for combat situations, and serve as much more deadly mounts than their better-known and more common cousins. Further, they are prized for their uncommon intelligence, and are sometimes said to be smarter than those who ride them. Not all myllisthor griffons are raised in captivity, however. It is the custom of most elven griffon-breeders to release their griffons into the wild once they reach a certain age, as a sort of reward for their years of service. This has led to several isolated prides of myllisthor griffons taking up territory of their own, and these communities have slowly grown and expanded over time. So far, these myllisthor griffons have not had much of an impact on the ecosystems where they take up residence, but time will tell if this trend will continue, as their numbers continue to swell. Myllisthor griffons are highly prized, and fetch a much higher price than normal griffons. In most elven lands, the price for poaching a myllisthor griffon, or stealing one of their eggs, is death: assuming the griffon doesn t see to it first. 4

6 LookingfortheRedclaw Grifon?

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